Czech-based company opens 55 new jobs in Prague for OFWs from Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ affected areas

Philippine Embassy Officials Dr. Juan E. Dayang, Jr., Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Mr. Arcangelo Sta. Ana, Communications Officer, Economic Assistant and Attaché, and Embassy Staff Carlos Tienzo visit Teleplan Company with officials from Czech Ministry of Labor including Dr. Jiři Král, Deputy Director General of the Labor Office and Bc. Renata Malichová, Director of the Regional Branch of the Labor Office in Pribram, and Bc. Veronica Žurovcová, Spokesperson, with hosts Teleplan Company’s Vice President Pierre Gingras of Operations, Ingr. Jan Bejcĕk, Pieter Wagebaert, Corporate Finance Director, Mgr. Peter Pesek, HR Manager, and Site Manager Jakub Mancinčin.

Philippine Ambassador to Prague Victoriano M. Lecaros to the Czech Republic reported that the Czech-based company Teleplan is opening new jobs for 55 overseas Filipino workers in May this year.  “This is a welcome development in Philippine-Czech people to people relations and shows that Filipino workers are world-class”, said Ambassador Lecaros.

Teleplan Company provides a comprehensive range of services that support the lifecycle care of electronic devices and products following the point of sale.  The Prague branch is one of Teleplan’s  22 centres of excellence around the globe.  Teleplan-Prague workforce includes 530 workers with 52%  with Czech nationality, 32% of Slovak nationality and 10% with Filipino nationality.

Consul Juan E. Dayang, Jr., Charge d’Affaires ad interim and  Mr. Arcangelo Sta. Ana, Economic Assistant and Attaché of the Philippine Embassy in Prague visited Teleplan Company  on February 14 to join  Czech Ministry of  Labor officials for a briefing, discussion, and site tour.  The Ministry of Labor was represented by Dr. Jiří Král,  Deputy General Director  of the Labor Office in Prague and  Bc. Renata Malichová of the Regional Branch of the Labor Office in Pribram.

OFW Marlon Jore, one of the current 55 OFWs working at Teleplan Company in Prague. Teleplan Company will employ additional 55 operators starting May 2014; Mgr. Petr Pesek, Human Resources Manager of Teleplan talks with Philippine Embassy officials and staff.

According to Pribram Regional Director Renata Malichová, the Labor Office has been working with Teleplan  Company since it established business operations in 2006.  Director Malichová  said that  “we try to find workers from the pool of our job seekers, but when we do not manage to find enough qualified candidates,  we fill the positions from ranks of foreigner workers, especially Filipinos, in the case of Teleplan Company.”

Mr. Pierre Gingras, Vice President for Operation announced Teleplan Company’s plans to open 110 new jobs for the Operator positions starting May 2014 due to higher demand.  Mgr. Peter Pesek, Human Resources Manager of Teleplan-Prague said that they intend to recruit new workers from the ranks of job seekers from the Labor Office and foreign workers from the Philippines. As part of the planned recruitment in May 2014, the Teleplan Company decided to get half its new employees from the Philippines.

“When looking for suitable employees, we decided to turn toward the Philippines for their skills and mainly due to last year’s disaster, when many families and friends of our employees found themselves without money and roofs over their heads. By providing them with employment, we want to give them the opportunity to get back on their feet and improve their living conditions, “said Mgr. Petr Pesek.

(Left to right) Peter Pesek, Embassy Staff Carlos Tienzo, Attaché Archie Sta. Ana, Consul Jed Dayang, and Director Pieter Wagebaert

In support of Teleplan’s decision to hire Filipinos from typhoon Yolanda-affected areas in the Philippines, Dr. Jiří Král, Deputy-General Director for Labor Office of the Czech Republic said that “this is where the Labor Office may lend a helping hand and actively cooperate with the execution of work permits to citizens of the Philippines.”

“We offer our foreign employees free accommodation, transportation to the place of work, contribution to the Prague public transport, return ticket to the Philippines every 18-months and full support in dealing with work permits and residence permits,” explains Petr Pesek.

After the presentation and discussions, Embassy officials and Czech Ministry of Labor  officials  was given  a site tour of the production area of the Teleplan Company where they had the opportunity to talk with employees and see up close their workload.

Based on the survey conducted by Teleplan among its employees, the main reason why Filipino workers accept employment in the Czech Republic is the opportunity to financially support their families back home. Most workers come with the intention to stay for five years. This is the case of the Filipino youth 31-years old Marlon Jore, one of the 55 Filipino workers of Teleplan. who works for the company for the past five years. “I am very satisfied with my work in Teleplan. Czechs are friendly and I made many friends here.  Although I miss my family a lot, I have the opportunity every two years to visit them, ” he said.

(Left to right) Czech Ministry of Dr. Jiři Král, Deputy Director General of the Labor Office and Bc. Renata Malichová, Director of the Regional Branch of the Labor Office in Pribram gets briefing from Teleplan’s Site Manager Jakub Mancinčin

Mgr. Peter Pesek with Jakub Marcinčin of Teleplan Company is currently in Manila from 21-25 February to meet with POEA officials,  Czech Embassy officials,  and Edi-Staffbuilders to finalize plans in recruiting 55 Filipino workers.

Consul Dayang, who has visited Teleplan Company in November  2013 and met with various officials of the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Interior in the Czech Republic to discuss ways to smoothen the entry of Filipino workers in the Czech Republic,  said that  the Teleplan Company employs the largest Filipino workers in the Czech Republic.  He added that Teleplan has shown to be a reliable employer of Filipinos in the Czech Republic. “We find that Teleplan Company takes care of the welfare of OFWs in Prague including their spiritual needs. For example,  Teleplan, apart from its donation to its employees whose families were affected by Typhoon Yolanda in November last year, also sponsored a Holy Mass at the Infant Jesus of Prague for the victims of super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan),” Consul Dayang said.

Teleplan employees comprise the members of the Sunday English-mass choir in the Infant of Jesus of Prague Church in Mala Strana and actively participates in Filipino community events organized by the Philippine Embassy in Prague.

Photos and article courtesy of DFA press release, 25 February 2014.